


Eve

by DarkAthena (seraphim_grace)



Series: Riddick 'Verse [1]
Category: Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-05
Updated: 2011-07-05
Packaged: 2017-10-21 01:47:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/219540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seraphim_grace/pseuds/DarkAthena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eve wakes up in a medbay after the attack on Crematoria and is made an offer she really can't refuse</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eve

Eve

 

Eve lay on the floor, she had dragged herself over to the Nanomed and it had stopped the bleeding. Her leg was clearly broken, and badly, and she knew that unless she got help sometime soon she was dead.

She was aware of the rhythmic thumping of feet but was pretty sure that were either the convicts coming to finish her off or the sound of her own heart drumming.

She was vaguely aware of the men in black armour, a hallucination perhaps, the morpheline giving shadows life, and passed out.

She woke up wearing a cryo jack and fought for a moment before a hypo hissed in her neck and she went back under. She thought, for a second, that she had seen a man’s face before her.

The next time she woke up she was pretty sure that she was alive. She was in a med bay, or she assumed so, and her leg was in a gel cast. Whoever it was who had found her was taking very good care of her. She was dressed and her hair felt clean, although there was a terrible taste in her mouth from the repeated cryo and morpheline. She pushed her sandpaper tongue out to try and wet her lips and a man came forward with water in a g-bulb, holding it up to wet her mouth. She took the bulb from him, gulping down it’s contents greedily.

She put the bulb down and took a deep breath. The ship’s air was stale and recycled but it felt good to just breathe. She gulped down the air as much as she had the water. The man who had given her the water had gone about his business. As she looked around she saw that there were other beds, some of which had patients. One of which had been recently abandoned.

The room was a sort of gothic grey, rather than the sterile grey green that was usual for medbays on frigates. “Aint you a pretty piece?” In the bed the way she was she couldn’t hear where the voice was coming from. She didn’t wait for other pleasantries. her fingers found the neck of the bulb and smashed it against the edge of the table. By the time he leered over her, she had a large piece of the glass and slashed at his eyes. With two quick gestures she had slashed open both cheeks and the blood, where it spattered her was hot. She went to slash again but then two men in black pulled the other away. With a quick motion the one on the left snapped her assailant’s throat.

“Why didn’t she slit his throat?” One asked. “She easily could have.”

“We must inform Lord Vaako.” The doctor came over with his hypo and before she could say anything she slept.

 

Eve woke in a room draped with beautiful fabrics. She had clearly been discharged from the medbay and installed in this room. The bed was sinfully soft and she wore what felt like silk. Her hair had been washed again and bound back from her face in a braid that had to have been put in wet. She was still wearing the gel cast.

She pulled herself up into a sitting position and a girl in a black dress, who had been sat at the edge of the bed reading, stood up with a bow and then left the room. She came back in a moment later with a black woman in a golden dress. “You are awake.” The black woman said. She was beautiful and dressed to be more so. Eve felt kind of ugly and raw in her presence. “I am Dame Vaako.” She bowed her head, “and you are Eve, am I correct?” Eve didn’t say anything.

“I have a simple question, your attacker,” she said calmly, “why didn’t you kill him?”

Eve thought of all the answers she could give and then opted for the truth. “I wanted the bastard to suffer.”

It must have been the right answer because Dame Vaako gave a slight smile and she said. “Oh, my dear, they’re going to love you.”

“I,” Eve began.

“There are things you must understand.” Dame Vaako said sitting on the edge of the bed. “Although I do not suppose you will be ready quite yet,” she looked at the ugly blue gel cast on Eve’s leg. “You did yourself quite a mischief. We are the Necromongers,” she said the word with real pride, “and I my husband is First among Commanders, Lord Vaako.” She watched Eve’s face. “You were a mercenary left behind to die on Crematoria, in fact, if not for my husband’s decision to bring aboard new converts you would be dead.” Eve nodded. The girl in black, a serving girl clearly, brought in a tray of fruit and handed it to the Dame. “In our culture that means that you belong to him.” Eve’s eyes narrowed, lifting one of the blue nectarines. “And that complicates matters somewhat.” Eve looked at the fruit like it was poisoned. “Oh no, dear,” Dame Vaako had a high and somewhat mocking laugh, “I am not going to poison you, eat,” she lifted one of the fruits herself, using her nail, upon which she had a golden talon, to pierce the skin to show it was safe. She popped one of the segments into her perfect mouth. “My husband owns many such women, but the problem is that the Lord Marshall is also interested in you. And then there is the matter of your hair.”

Sticky with juice Eve’s fingers found their way to her braid. “Normally all blondes automatically go to the Purifiers, it is something of a tradition, but you break all those traditions.” Dame Vaako stopped, ate another piece of the sweet blue fruit. “Your records show you as something of a knife fighter, is this true?” Eve nodded and that answer pleased the dame. “Welcome to the section of the Hanakotoba that belongs to my husband,” the dame said, “eat, drink, use this place as your own. We shall meet with the Lord Marshall and my husband tomorrow. They have an offer for you.”

“Then why send you?” Eve managed, tearing into one of the other fruit with her teeth in the most unladylike manner she could because the Dame made her so uncomfortable.

“Because you are a woman,” the dame answered, “and they cannot enter the Hanakotoba.”

\---

Eve had at first thought that the Hanakotoba was a harem and she was only half right. It was where the wives, consorts and women lived, even the female servants, but instead of lounging around on silk pillows in various states of undress as she imagined from the holovids she had seen as a child they were instead caught in some form of industry. Some were diligently copying, with pen and ink of all things, manuscripts. There were looms were thick rugs were woven. Some sat stitching cloth with elaborate and beautiful embroidery. There were other things that she did not recognise and there was laughter and in the corner one woman, with a large instrument, played music so it mingled into the background. There was a sweet spicy smoky smell around the room and Eve realised that this was not so much a harem as a haven, the men may imagine what went on here as lounging around on silk cushions and braiding each other’s hair but instead there was a sort of sorority with tea parties and actual labour.

There are women from all over the galaxy here, some even slightly alien with blue hair or scales. The only thing that they all have in common is a pair of scars on either side of their neck, between spine and tendon. Her hands went to her own neck only to find that she had a similar pair of scars but she had no idea where they had come from. “Lady Eve,” one of the girls whispered and en masse they all turned to look at her, and then bowed her head, “welcome to the Hanakotoba, let us fetch you a chair, your leg is still weak, have some tea, some pastries.”

“Perhaps,” Dame Vaako said gliding forward, for the woman didn’t walk, “she would be less overwhelmed if we simply guided her to such things.” She slid her arm under Eve’s so that their elbows were linked.

“You’re not going to drug me again, are you?” Eve was naturally suspicious, a merc didn’t stay alive long if she wasn’t.

“Why, do you hurt?” Dame Vaako said. “This place is a sanctuary, away from the worlds and wars of man.”

“Why are you treating me like this? you said your husband claimed me.” That was certainly a death sentence and Eve had no belief that the Dame would hesitate in slitting her throat.

“Do you think that you are the only woman that my husband owns?” Dame Vaako said sitting at the small table as a girl, giddy and clumsy with youth, set down a tea pot with cups. “My husband is the first among commanders, he can claim the soldiers of each planet he leads the invasion of for his garrison, and the women for his Hanakotoba, all of these women belong to my husband.” She gestured to the room. “Every commander has his own Hanakotoba.” She said. “But owning a woman and claiming a woman are quite different. I am his Dame, these are merely his consorts, his servants, the female contigent of his household.”

Eve took a deep breath, her head reeling.

“In truth,” the Dame continued blithely, “for his position my husband keeps very few of the women that are his right. Most are shared amongst his sub commanders or given to the fleet in the position of menials. There are tasks that only a woman is suitable for, and not every one commands the fleet.” She sounded amused and proud. “Some of these he inherited from the previous First Among, some are gifts. Mostly I do not care for my husband is loyal to Underverse come.” She tapped her fingers against the edge of her teacup which was very fine porcelain, almost as thin as a human eyelid. The tea was sweetly fragranced but Eve didn’t recognise the smell. “My husband and the Lord Marshall occupy a very complicated position within the Necromonger fleet. Together they are very dangerous and beautiful to watch, but such power will breed both contempt and envy. They wish to give you a choice.”

“Which is?” Eve pressed.

“Not my position to speak of.” The Dame answered. “If you feel up to it I could send word to my husband that you are willing to meet with him, that he might make the offer more personally. Of course, although what you wear is more than suitable for the Hanakotoba we simply cannot have you wandering the halls of Necropolis as such, you will be mistaken for a menial.” Eve didn’t know what was wrong with her pants and vest. She still wasn’t sure why she had been left her knife. She raised her hand, “bring gowns for the Lady Eve, oils for her bath, cosmetics to frame her beauty.” She said and the girls in black scurried to obey. “There are luxuries of course, to being a Lady of the Necromongers.”

“Do you have a name?” Eve asked, “you called yourself Vaako and you called your husband Vaako.”

“I took his name when we married, such is our custom. If another killed him and I became his wife then I would take his name, but before we married,” she looked a little distant, “my name was Selune.” She paused. “I shall accompany you in your bathing, to prove no ill will between us. You will discover my husband is a generous man,” she smirked, “and why if I was left to pleasure him on my own I would never get anything done.”

\---

If the Hanakotoba was luxurious then the Basilica, as Selune named the ship, was austere. Eve was led through the corridors, arm in arm with Selune. Lord Vaako was in one of the more private offices in the part of the ship that Selune called the Necropolis. It had apparently been part of their civilisation on Asylum that had been built into the ship, which was far larger than Eve had even suspected.

Lord Vaako wore full armour trimmed in gold and embossed with a simple design. He was almost fish belly pale, with dark shadows over black eyes, and an almost obscenely soft mouth. His hair was styled into a sort of ridge upon his head, that matched the helmet he had set on the nearby table, and fell in beaded braids down his back. He was, for all his contradictions, gorgeous and much younger than Eve had let herself think judging by his position and what his wife had said of him.

He stood over a holovid on which certain tables and graphs were displayed. He turned when they entered. “Eve,” he said and his voice was deep and rich, used to command, but clipped and cold. Again it contradicted what Eve had expected. He looked her up and down, measuring her in ways Eve was not certain that she appreciated. He lingered on her arms and her hands, not the bulk of the gel cast around her thigh. “You have caused quite a dilemma.” He turned back to his reports. “I assume my Dame has informed you of your position.” He didn’t really wait for an answer, just a quick beat. “It was my forces which converted Crematoria as a gift for the previous Lord Marshall, our information suggested only soldiers, warriors, we didn’t even imagine you.” He stood with his back to her.

“Yet in the time necessary before Purification when you were in medbay, you were attacked by another potential convert, this one from Helion Prime, we were not so naive as to leave the convicts with you.” It was another statement, he had no interest in her answer. “They were Purified immediately and those that died, died.” He moved his hand and the charts changed. “Yet there lies a wonder in and of itself. You defended yourself,” he turned then, as if weighing options, “using a juice bulb of all things, for which I must commend your ingenuity, but why did you not kill the man?”

Eve took a sucking breath through her nose. The air tasted fresher here. “Lotsa reasons,” she said.

“You crippled him, slashing through the muscles of his cheeks like that. But why not kill him?” Vaako turned, leaning against the table which held the holo projector. Even like that he looked like leashed violence. She had met men like him before, but never in such conditions.

“I didn’t think I could,” she said, “I didn’t know what would happen, if I would be believed. Also, I wanted him to suffer. The way he acted, I wasn’t the first, but I was sure goin’ to be the last. I woulda cut his balls off if I coulda got outta the bed.”

To her surprise the First Among Commanders laughter, it was a dark throaty sound that settled between her thighs with a blazing heat. His gaze was predatory. She wondered if it was the right answer. If it was the one he expected. “I am told,” he continued, “that you are competent with a knife. Is this true?”

“Aint had no complaints.” She said, her hand automatically going to the one at her waist, it might have been decorative but it was nicely balanced and had a sharp enough edge. He noticed the gesture with a slight smirk of amusement.

“The Legion vast has no female warriors. They are not considered suited for the task. It is said that they lack the necessary resolution.” He was eyeing her up, waiting for a strike. He was like a viper. “I do not agree but even I have laws that must be obeyed. Tell me, Eve,” he lingered on her name, rolling it around in his mouth in a way that even a rock would have found sexy. “How do you find our accomodations?” It was clear he was talking about the Hanakotoba.

“Had worse.” She answered.

“I assume my Dame explained that we had an offer for you. This is true. Everything we do, as a people, a faith, a legion, is based upon choice. We have all, to an extent, chosen our fate.” He stopped. “We are a simple people united under a single Law,” he said that with a capital, she heard it clearly. “You keep what you kill.” He paused, licked his lips. “And as such I get to keep you. But you present such a wonderful opportunity, this is your choice, you can accept the offer I am going to make you, with all the attendant luxuries such a position would allow, or you can be purified and join the hanakotoba as a servant.” He looked at the cast, as if he could see through the gown she wore. “You have chosen to join us rather than die, this was your first test, you asked those soldiers who found you to save you, thus you came into my care. You remain unpurified because of the potential you offer, but I will not force this upon you. I doubt I could.” His was a shark’s grin.

“Our current Lord Marshall is not one for the rules, or the laws. This is his prerogative. However there are those who would act against him, using our only Law. He is more than capable of protecting himself, but sometimes it is nice to have a, what did he call it, oh yes, an ace in the hole.” There was that quicksilver flash of amusement again. Dame Vaako had said a single woman could not hope to satisfy his hungers and Eve felt that perhaps he was looking at her like she was meat to be devoured. His gaze dragged over her like a tongue.

“This is our offer, you may become the Lord Marshall’s Prime Consort, unpurified and dangerous, to be his guardian, the unsuspected soldier at his side. You shall have all of the luxuries and power such a position supplies. Nothing else will be demanded of you. You shall have your pick of blades and a household of your own. You will join Lady Harah and Lady Adda in sharing the Lord Marshall’s quarters. Or you will be given to the Purifiers. This is your choice.”

“You say you keep what you kill.” Eve said. “So if I killed you now, I mean, if,” she licked her lips, “would I get to walk out of here with all that you have.”

“If you try to leave the Legion Vast you will be executed.” Dame Vaako said walking up and standing beside her husband. They made a truly beautiful couple. “That is not what we offer you. Women have no standing in the Legion, what they have is the gift that their husband bestows upon them.” She ran her finger up her husband’s arm. “Even their names, only the Consorts of the Lord Marshall, not wives, bear their own names, this we offer you.”

“Told you she’d want more.” A voice grumbled from the darkness.

The Dame smiled and turned. “It seems you win the bet, lord marshall.”

The figure that stepped into the light was one that Eve was sure was dead, bare arms scarred and posture inward turned in the false light, was Riddick, the one responsible for her current predicament. “Told Toombs,” he said, his voice was a growl, “he shoulda taken the money. Now, there’s my offer, consort or slave.”

“I get to keep my knives.” Eve said, it wasn’t a question.

“We’re kinda countin’ on it.” Riddick answered.

“And I aint gotta go to your bed?” that one was a question.

Riddick stepped forward, running his face along the curve of her neck. “That is entirely up to you.” He chuckled, “but you’ll have to kick others out to do it.” He looked not at the dame but Lord Vaako. “Unless,” Riddick smiled, a slow serpent’s climb over his face. Vaako’s chuckle was as dangerous as Riddick’s own. ”Well, that’s up to you too.”


End file.
